Process of purifying oil.



W. J. TRAVERS.

PROCESS 0F PURIFYING GIL.

APPLICATION Hmm JAR. 2o, 1910.

mama sept. 26. 1911v rn! [In 'in some sections.

WILLIAM J'. TRAVERS, OF OLIND SALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-'HALF T0 J. COLLINS,

Ob OLINDA, CALIFORNIA.

` rnocnss or PURIFYIG 011..

i ,corteza Application filed January 20, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed sept. 26,1911,

Seriall N0. 539,196.

To (LZ2 whom it may concern: y

'le it known that l, lViLLIAM J. TRAVERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olinda, in the rounty ot' Orange and State ot lCalii'ornia, have invented a neu' and usei'ul lt'rocess ot Purifying Uil, ot' which the Yliollou'inggj is a slmitif'ation.

ln crude oil found in certain localities, as ot alitornia and Mexico, water is contained in the oil to sueh an eX- tent, as to render the oil ulmeeeptable to transportatimi and consuming companies,

and the separation ot the water from the oil by the process ot heating and settling is not practicable, the Water being so eniulsitied or mixed with the oil that it does. not settle out, even on heating. The present practice in these localities, when the quantitx ot water is not too ,f freat, is to heat such. oil in tanks, by means of steam coils, so as to drive ott or evaiorate the Water. ln some cases the amount ot' Water contained is so great tliat this operation is not conn'nereially practicable, and the oil is destroyed by burning or is allowed to accumulate in sumps, constitut-l ing a nuisance. Such oils being ot' an asphaltic base are tenacious in nature and the Water found in emulsion with such oils has the general appearance of being entangled or enveloped in a tenacious asphaltic tihn which of sutlicient strength to inclose and retain such .moisture even after such oil and Water has been heated to a temperature of 2120 F., it itsubject to the hydrostatic pressure ot' its own body, and I have discovered that such asphaltic film is not of suficient strength or tenacity to retain the water it 'the sa me is heated to 2120 F. or the boiling point of water and the hydrostatic pressure of the oil is removed and I have also discovered that by bringing an emulsion of oil and water of the character described, up lo a temperature sutiicient to vaporize such' Water and then reducing the hydrostatic pressure upon the entangled water by lessening the depth of immersion of such entangled water to a minimum, that such Water T"ill break from the oil hn and pass off from the body in vapor Jform.

,Vhen heat is applied to the oil by means ot coils through which steam or other heating agent hasl been circulated, such operation does not uniformly heat the oil, as the unequal heating of dierent parts of the which body of the oil by the coils, causes a clontinual circulation with resulting" commingling of the oil with the Water.

My inyention consists essentially in heating the oil to or above the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure, and then slowly admitting the eil to the bottom of a heated mass ot' cil at said temperature, causing the heated oil to rise gradually and uniformly, and t) be exposed to the atmosphere at the top ol said body, whereby the steam is allowed te evaporate or escape from the surface of the oil as `it reaches the top of the body of the oil inthe tank.

As the oil rises, its hydrostatic pressure decreases, and is entirely removed when the oil reaches the top, enabling the Water vapor to break though the envelop or tilrn ofasphaltum entanglng the same, and to escape trom the body of the oil.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one form ot apparatus for carrying out the process, the ligure being a diagrammatic View.

l designates the' separating tank having its top open to the atmosphere as shown. The oil is introduced into the bottom of the tank i through a pipe 2 which leads from a receptacle Heat is applied to the oil and water while it .isu'ithin the receptacle 3 by the means ot' the tire 4.

' 5 is an overtiow pipe leading from the tank l.

The oil is delivered to the receptacle 3 through a pipe (l and may be pumped therethrough by al pump 7.

8 designates a tank he treated.

t) designates a tank for receiving Ithe oil a-'tter it has been treated.

The oil to which my process is applied is ("alilornia crude oil or the like, having an asphaltie base, with a gravity of 140 to 30 llaum. and containing from 5 to 5.0% or more of water entangled or emulsiiied with. the oil and asplialtum forming the substance known as B. S.

The oil is pumped to the receptacle 3, is preferably closed and is heated therein, preferably to' a temperature of somewhat above 212` F., and pa through the pipe l into the bottom ot tl tank l. It is desirable to heat the o Yuieiently ne heat lost in above 2120 F. Ito provide for t 

